Talia Natowcappo

Talia Natowcappo believes in making a career out of what you love to do.

"I've always known I was a hands-on learner, and the Welding apprenticeship is a promising program with good employment options," says Talia.

Talia, who graduated from Welding in 2016, attributes the positive experience at Saskatchewan Polytechnic to the fact that she wasn't given special treatment or treated differently from the men in the class, even though welding is a male-dominated field.

"I doubted myself from time to time, but the teachers never did," she says. "I felt important. I felt empowered and I felt welcomed. There aren't enough women in the trades these days and it makes me sad to not see my sisters."Looking to her future, Talia wants to get her journeyperson's ticket so she can keep doing what she loves.

"I'm hopeful and ambitious... I hope to be back here as a welding instructor and maybe even be the first female welding instructor at Saskatchewan Polytechnic."

Saskatchewan Polytechnic serves students through applied learning opportunities at campuses in Moose Jaw, Prince Albert, Regina and Saskatoon, and through extensive distance education opportunities. Programs serve every economic and public service sector. As a polytechnic, the organization provides the depth of learning appropriate to employer and student need, including certificate, diploma and degree programs, and apprenticeship training. Saskatchewan Polytechnic engages in applied research, drawing on faculty expertise to support innovation by employers, and providing students the opportunity to develop critical thinking skills.